


Memories of you

by Radenium



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Death, Goodbyes, M/M, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:40:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26321290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Radenium/pseuds/Radenium
Summary: As the final palace collapses and reality returns to what it should be, Ren and Goro are given time to say goodbye.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 2
Kudos: 56





	Memories of you

After saving Maruki from falling into the ruins of his own Palace. Ren awaits the moment where they will both be pulled to safety. Below the edge, Maruki begins to speak, “I see now that I’ve only caused you the same pain that I’ve felt all this time. I wanted you to be happy together because I couldn’t save Rumi but I disregarded what would have made you happy.” Approaching from the distance the bright lights of Morgana’s new helicopter form force Ren to close his eyes as he becomes dazzled. Around him, he begins to feel the Palace fade away. “I only wish that you’d both be able to find peace as well as happiness,” he continued.

Once the Palace has completely disappeared, Ren opens his eyes to find himself in a familiar booth at Leblanc. In front of him is the chessboard which he hasn’t used since November and further behind it sits his opponent with an unreadable expression on his face.  
Ren feels his eyes widening as he fully comprehends the scene before him, “How are we here? I felt the Palace collapse around us, and we definitely defeated Maruki.”

Placing a pawn one tile forward on the board Goro ignores Ren’s question and lets out a small sigh before asking, “Will you honor me with one final game Joker?”

Knowing he could never reject Goro’s competitive spirit, Ren moves one of his pieces accepting the other as he says, “Of course, you know I’d never turn you down.” As the match officially begins a genuine smile appears on Goro’s face as he contemplates his next move. “To answer your previous question, you’re right that we did defeat that Messiah complex of a therapist,” He meets Ren’s gaze with a serious look as he moves his next piece before continuing, “I could feel the Palace begin to disappear as well, that helicopter was so cramped and yet I couldn’t help feeling as if I were alone,” He pauses to smile at Ren, “Such feelings never used to bother me before but now it's different.”  
Goro places his right hand on the table and once Ren plays his turn, he places his hand on top of it and offers Goro a smile. The detective glances down at their joined hands before speaking, “It seems I’m more in debt to you now than when we started this deal, you not only changed Shido’s heart and welcomed me back as one of your own, but you’ve sacrificed your happiness for me as well.”

Ren squeezes Goro’s hand to bring his attention back to his eyes before starting to speak, “I could never be happy in this reality knowing that I’d be controlling you just as much as Shido and all the other adults in your life. I could never regret anything about you; only that we couldn’t meet sooner instead of being played against each other by a God.” Ren thinks back to the previous day and thinks about the look on Goro’s face when he suggested his life was worth more than reality itself.

Goro lets out a small laugh as if he knows what Ren is thinking and at this point, he probably does. “I still think your sentimentality and penchant for forgiveness are your biggest weaknesses; although undoubtedly we wouldn’t be together right now without it,” he replies.  
Goro tightens his hold on Ren’s hand as he offers a sad smile, “I’ll follow your example as a leader for once in my life and say that I’m thankful that you came into my life and even if you were only by my side for a short while you truly did save me. I never cared about how I died as long as I took down Shido: whether I drowned on that cruiser or was smothered in a warehouse. However, right now I feel as if this certainly the best way to go out.”  
As he speaks a look of pure exhaustion appears on Goro’s face which reminds Ren of the last few days they spent together before infiltrating Sae Nijima’s Palace. “I’ve been feeling myself… slipping away ever since the Palace began to collapse. It’s an odd feeling, one that’s definitely more comforting than what I felt on that ship.”

Ren lets go of Goro’s hand as he moves to the opposite side of the booth; allowing his lover to rest his head against his shoulder before starting to speak, “I’m glad then that we can spend this time together being happy, I don’t want to leave you alone like I did on that ship ever again.”

Ren feels Goro relax further into his shoulder with a sigh before the brunette replies, “I’ll never be alone again because of you,” Goro gestures to his gloveless hand as he starts to continue, “and no matter what, you’ll always have a part of me with you too, I’ll be waiting for that duel so you better be prepared.”

Ren laughs and says, “I’d never forgive myself if I disappointed you like that, after all, you did spend all of that training to ‘take me out.’”

He feels the embarrassment wash over Goro, who groans and buries his face further into Ren’s shoulder his voice becoming muffled as he says, “Thinking back on just how much of a fool I made of myself back then motivates me even more to wipe that smug look of your face the next time we meet.”

The two sit in comfortable silence for a minute until Goro sits up and puts a hand on Ren’s cheek so that their eyes can meet. “I spent most of my life believing that I’d never leave anyone behind when I died and yet I can’t seem to bring myself to say goodbye.” It is only when the hand on his cheek swipes away a tear that Ren realizes that he’s begun to cry. “Even though reality won’t be perfect from now on, I still want you to be happy and to live as if every challenge life gives you is a competition against your greatest rival.”

Ren lets out a small smile “I wouldn’t expect anything less,” He replies and knows that he could never go back on a promise made to the detective.  
“I won’t say goodbye,” Ren says bringing his hands to Goro’s face, “Because I know that we’ll meet again. I’ll only tell you ‘I love you,’ and I will for the rest of my life.”

Goro moves closer and murmurs against Ren’s lips, “I love you too, so you better take responsibility for your actions and not break that promise.”

Their lips meet for a final kiss that is neither like the roughness they shared back in November nor is it like the desperation they shared the previous evening after sending the calling card. Ren thinks to himself that this kiss is one full of tender sweetness which only a few months ago he would never have thought Goro able of producing, but after seeing under all of the brunette’s masks until there was nothing left, he knows without a doubt that this is still as a much of a part of Goro Akechi as anything else.

After what feels like an eternity and yet still not enough at the same time; Ren opens his eyes and is greeted by the blue of the Velvet room. Lavenza asks him if he regretted this turn of events, and while the feeling of loss will forever be painful, he knows he made the right choice.

**Author's Note:**

> While Akechi definitely would have hated a big thing being made out of his death, I can’t help but feel he was done dirty by his last on screen lines being about how the Monacopter is too small. So I wanted to write a scene where he was able to thank Ren for everything he did. This was definitely inspired by the rooftop scene at the end of Persona 3 which is why the fic is called what it is.  
> Thanks for reading.


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